Ponder the portrait of a Catholic gentleman

First and foremost, a Catholic gentleman is a Catholic; that is, he is permeated to the core by the Faith handed down for twenty centuries, witnessed to by the blood of the martyrs, and embodied in the creeds and councils of the Catholic and apostolic Church. The Faith is the air he breathes, and his whole life is dedicated to knowing and following Jesus Christ with his whole heart.

A Catholic gentleman is not the casual Christian-and-Easter Catholic, who treats the faith like a buffet from which to cherry-pick beliefs that suit his way of life. Rather, his way of life is conformed to the truth as revealed through the Church founded by Jesus Christ. He lives by his baptismal promises, rejecting Satan and all his pomps and works. If someone pointed a gun to his head and asked him to deny his faith, he would respond like the Cristero martyrs of Mexico: “Viva Christo Rey!” Long live Christ the King

A Catholic gentleman does not hide his faith, but rather, lets his light shine before men and witnesses to the beauty of the truth with joy, humility, and love. Accordingly, he is a true evangelist. Above all, a Catholic gentleman loves Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother, striving at every moment to please them, honor them, and love them with his whole he

Second, a Catholic gentleman is gentle. Gentleness is not highly valued for men in our culture. It is too often associated with a sort of milquetoast weakness that shrinks from challenges. But gentleness is not weakness – it is strength under control.

Anyone who has lifted weights in a gym knows there are showoffs who like to lift more weight than they can handle. After one or two shaky reps, they drop the dumbbells with a tremendous crash, hoping others will notice how much weight they were putting up. But the truth is, dropping weights doesn’t reveal how strong you are. Anyone can drop something heavy. What is impressive is the hulk of a man who can squat eight hundred pounds and still manage to set the barbell down lightly and carefully. His gentleness reveals his strength.

Likewise, a Catholic gentleman has strength in reserve. He can defend the weak when called upon, and he can rise to face difficult challenges when he must. But he is no braggart, intent on crashing his way through life in an attempt to prove his strength. His power is channeled and harnessed, fully under the control of a disciplined will.

Finally, a Catholic gentleman is a servant leader … He is not obsessed with power or authority, for he knows that true leaders do not demand obedience, but, rather, inspire it by their example.

Excerpt from: The Catholic Gentleman: Living Authentic Manhood Today, by Sam Guzman (Ignatius Press, 2019). www.ignatius.com. From Chapter 23: “What Is a Catholic Gentleman?” pp. 125-127

SAM GUZMAN is the founder and editor of The Catholic Gentleman blog and a marketing professional. His writing has appeared in various faith-based publications and websites, such as Catholic Exchange, Aleteia, and The Christian Science Monitor